3 Tigers Who Will Decide Detroit's Second Half

The Detroit Tigers haven't had the season they envisioned coming into 2026. There were hopes of becoming a top team in the American League and attempting another deep playoff run.

A brutal May hurt those odds quite a bit, but A.J. Hinch's squad has slowly been digging itself out of this deep hole. Sure, they're seven games below .500, but with the A.L.'s mediocre showing, no team is out of the playoff picture.

Detroit is 3.5 games behind a wild-card spot, which means the next couple of weeks could determine Scott Harris' position as a buyer or seller at the trade deadline. Here are three players who have to perform to keep the Tigers in the playoff hunt.

Gleyber Torres

Gleyber Torres has been sidelined for about half the season with two IL stints. The most recent injury occurred on June 17th with a left oblique strain. However, the Tigers' second baseman is close to a return, as he made his second rehab assignment on Friday.

The lineup looks much better with Torres in it. He brings a steady presence and consistent contact at the top. Torres has a .280 batting average, .395 on-base percentage, and 44 hits in 43 games this year.

When Detroit gets Torres, Kevin McGonigle, Dillon Dingler, and Riley Greene in the top of the order, that is a formidable group for Hinch.

Kenley Jansen

There are plenty of important arms on Detroit's staff who must deliver, but Kenley Jansen may be chief among them. The Tigers' blown leads have been a primary reason for their first-half struggles.

Will Vest is on the injured list for the foreseeable future, which means Jansen has to be the reliable closer that he's made an illustrious career on. Detroit won a narrow 2-1 game on Friday over the Angels as Keider Montero pitched the final 3.1 innings.

Obviously, that won't be the plan moving forward. The Tigers need guys to step up in high-leverage situations. Jansen hasn't allowed a run yet this month, so it appears he's slowly figuring out his early-season woes.

Framber Valdez

The starting rotation has held its own. Tarik Skubal is leading the charge, while Casey Mize and Troy Melton have been superb. But Framber Valdez is the true wild card.

Valdez was brilliant in his last outing, allowing three hits, one run, with nine strikeouts over seven innings. He's consistently lived in the five-to-six inning range, but it can come at the cost of four or five runs.

If Valdez can consistently pitch at a high level, the Tigers could win more games and stay in the playoff hunt in August and September.

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